Fort Myers Beach project nearing finish; contractor targets June 30 completion

The town’s Central Beach renourishment project is in its final stages, with the contractor continuing work on the central and south segments and a target completion date of June 30, town staff told the Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force on June 11. Chad, a town staff member, said the contractor has about 150,000 cubic yards of sand left to place and that crews have been staging, pumping and “breaking back” along the access points to complete pumping of the central segment.

The project matters because it restores beach fronting Fort Myers Beach and is intended to reduce wave energy and protect properties and public access. Chad said the south segment was tilled and a sea turtle nest appeared the next day, underlining the timing and environmental sensitivity of the work.

Town staff described the project’s financing and next steps. Chad said the town has used state hurricane recovery funds and other grants to cover much of the earlier work; he estimated the town’s cumulative contractor payments so far at roughly $13 million to $15 million but said the town’s direct construction share has been “very minimal to date.” He said the state covered the south end construction 100 percent and that the town will begin using its budgeted construction funds for remaining work. The crew opened bids for FEMA-funded vegetation plantings; one qualified bidder submitted a bid of about $509,000 against an estimated baseline budget of $392,000. Chad said FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program provided roughly $200,000 to support more mature plants at the north end and that the planting contract will be presented to the Town Council for award at its June 16 meeting.

Task force members asked about storm impacts and the berm’s effectiveness. A member noted that some homes still experienced flooding during recent storms even where berms existed. Chad answered that the berm primarily reduces wave energy rather than preventing absolute water-level rise, and that water can enter from the bay or behind structures even when a beach berm is in place. He also emphasized that the project’s placed sand is wet and should be more stable through the upcoming storm season.

Chad said the contractor’s schedule has not changed and the June 30 target remains. He cautioned that productivity and weather could affect the final date.

The committee did not take formal action on the renourishment at the June 11 meeting; staff said they would provide an update to the Town Council and return to the task force with more details and a post‑completion status report.